Wrecking bar and wire stretcher



Aug. 25, 1925: 1,551,035

- R. D. KURAU WRECKING BAR AND WIRE STRETGHER Filed on. 5, 1924 INVENTOR Reyizm/r/ fl. f1 uraa ATTORNEY W i it E- n U R K l M 5 Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REGINALD D. KURAU, OF HARWIN'ION, CONNECTICUT.

WRECKING BAR AND WIRE STRETCHER.

P Application filed October 3, 1924. Serial No. 741,332.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REGINALD D. KURAU, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Harwinton, county of Litchfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrecking Bars and Vire Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to combination tools, and more particularly to a combined wrecking bar and wire stretcher especially adapted for use upon farms.

One object of this invention is to provide a device of the above nature comprising an elongated shank having one end bent to form a fulcrum for the tool, said bent end being strengthened on its inner side by an integral segment adapted to form a cold chisel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination tool of the above nature, including a wire stretcher having a double-acting cam for clamping the wire when being pulled in opposite directions.

A further object is to provide a device of this nature which will be simple and compact in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, ornamental in shape, and very eflicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

Fig. 1 represents a side view of the combination tool.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the wire stretchin end of the tool.

eferring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates an elongated shank of the combination tool, said shank being adapted to serve as a handle. The shank 10 is circular in crosssection and is slightly tapered inwardly from the bottom to the top. The upper end of the shank 10 is flattened at 11 and is bifurcated to form a nail puller having jaws 12 and 13 between which is a beveled V-sha-ped recess 14:.

The opposite end of the combination tool is provided with a bent portion 15 curved upon itself through substantially a semicircle (180 degrees) in the plane of the shank 10.

The curved portion 15 has flat substantially parallel side faces 16, and the bottom of said curved portion has a series of parallel grooves 17 in the shape of saw teeth, extending perpendicular to the side faces 16.

In order to strengthen the curved end 15 of the tool, a wedge-shaped cold chisel 18 or anvil is formed integral therewith and forms a segment extending about 90 degrees around its circumference. The extremity of the curved end 15 is bifurcated to form a pair of pointed teeth 19, said teeth being spaced apart at their inner ends. Between the bases of the teeth 19 the tool is provided with a curved smooth surface adapted to prevent injury to a wire 20 when it is being stretched.

In order to form a clamp for tightly gripping the wire 20, the tool shank 10 is provided with a side recess 21 adjacent the curved portion 15. The recess 21 is preferably rectangular in shape and has shoulders 22 and 23 spaced from a semi-circular cam 24 pivoted therein. The cam 24 which is preferably knurled on its curved edge is pivotally mounted upon a pin 25 located centrally in said recess 21, said pin 25 being se cured to base of said recess in any suitable manner, as by heading over its ends, as shown in Fig. 2.

In operation, when it is desired to use the tool for stretching a wire, the tool will first be placed with its curved end 15 resting upon a firm support. The wire 20 will then be passed through the bifurcated extremity, between the teeth 19, and slipped in between the shoulder 23 and the curved knurled face of the cam 24 adjacent thereto. The shank 10 will then be pulled to the right. When the wire has been stretched to the proper point, the undesired end thereof may be cut off by laying the wire upon the cold chisel 18 and striking it with a hammer. The use of the nail pullers at the extremities of the tool is obvious.

It will be understood that in some cases it may be necessary to stretch the wire by pulling the tool to the left instead of to the right as described above. In this case, the cam member will be rotated 180 degrees, and the wire, which comes from the right instead of from the left as before, will be clamped between the shoulder 23 and the opposite end of the cam member from that previously used. However, in this instance, since the Wire does not pass arouhd the bifurcated end of the curved section, the greater leverage thereby obtained will be sacrificed.

It will be understood that this combination tool will be useful not only for stretching wire, pulling staples, nails, etc, but also in wrecking work, as a pinch bar or crow bar. It may also be used as a spike for starting fence holes, and as a hammer for driving fence posts.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific disclosures but may be embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the claims.

Having thus fully described the invention,

what is claimed as new and for which Let ters Patent are desired, is:

1. In a wire stretcher, a shank having an elongated straight section adapted to serve as a handle, the other end of said shank being bent upon itself to form a hook, said hook having a strengthening segment on its inner side, a recess in said shank, a semicylindrical cam member pivoted in said recess and adapted to engage one side thereof, the edges of said cam member adjacent to its straight side being roughened, the wire being adapted to be clamped between one side of said recess and one roughened edge of said cam member, said cam member being reversed in position according as the wire is pulled from the right or from the left.

2. In a wire stretcher, a shank having an elongated section adapted to serve as a handle, said shank having a hook section at one end adapted to serve as a fulcrum, a cam member pivoted on said shank adjacent the hook section, said shank having a shoulder adjacent said cam member, the wire to be stretched being adapted to be clamped between said cam member and said shoulder, said hook section having a strengthening segment on its concave side, said segment having a sharp edge to serve as an anvil for cutting off the undesired ends of the stretched wire.

8. In a wire stretcher, a shank having an elongated straight section adapted to serve as a handle, the other end of said shank being bent upon itself to form a hook, said shank having a recess, a semi-cylindrical cam member pivoted in said recess and adapted to engage one side thereof, the wire being adapted to be clampedbetween either side of said recess and one edge of said cam member, said cam member being reversed in position according as the wire is pulled from the right Or from the left.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature to this specification.

REGINALD D. KURAU. 

